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Michael J. Nelson

Michael J. Nelson

Birthday: 1964-10-11 | Place of Birth: St. Charles, Illinois

Michael J. Nelson is the former host and writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams. His first book, Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, "He's more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers... Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes... and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves." Mike's laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, "From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half," and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, "[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley's immortal Treasurer's Report." And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, "Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson's mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network--only funnier!" Nelson speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with fellow former MST3K writers/performers Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy operate a podcast called RiffTrax, which, in a similar vein to MST3K, targets more mainstream films.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2026
GrimTrax Returns

as    Self

2026
Hunks of Junk

as    Self

2025
RiffTrax: Super Zeroes

as    Self

2025
RiffTrax Live: Timecop

as    Self

2024
GrimTrax

as    Self

2024
2024
2024
2023
RiffTrax Live: RAD

as    Self

2020
2019
RiffTrax Live: Octaman

as    Self

2019
2018
The Rifftrax Yule Log

as    Self

2018
2018
The Rifftrax Yule Log

as    Self

2017
2017
2016
2016
2016
RiffTrax Live: Mothra

as    Self

2015
Rifftrax Live: The Room

as    Self